Baton Rouge, July 1, 2024.
A few years ago, Courtney McKee, a registered nurse from the US state of Louisiana, left her two-year-old son Max and his older brother Brody at her mother's house for a couple of days while she herself went to work at a hospital. Soon a phone call and the horrible news had her rushing back home.
Courtney's mom and sister-in-law were playing in the pool with Max, Brody and their cousin. After playing in the pool, they moved on to another activity.
At one point, however, Max returned to the pool alone.
"I think he ran over to get water in a little bucket to play in, but they didn't know for sure," Courtney recalled. "When Max leaned over, he probably fell into the pool."
While stories like this often draw condemnation from readers, the reality is that such accidents literally happen in a matter of moments. That's why people like Courtney McKee, who have experienced such a horrific ordeal in their lives, are sharing their stories to warn others, according to Crosswalk.com.
Courtney's sister-in-law found Max lying face down at the bottom of the pool. The toddler was unresponsive to anything. While the adults urgently called for help and began to give the child CPR, Max's older brother, Brody, on his knees began to pray fervently to God to save his brother.
"The only thing I could do was pray," Brody says. "I knelt down on my knees and turned to the Savior: 'God, help my little brother! Save him! Send your holy angels to help him, Lord!"""
Meanwhile, Courtney McKee got a call at work that her little boy had nearly drowned and was near death.
"I started crying... I remember being surrounded by coworkers, nurses and doctors," the woman continues. "One of them took my phone and started talking instead of me... I was so numb that I was just at a loss for words."
No one knew if Max would survive or how severe the effects of being unconscious underwater would be. Although he received excellent medical care, Courtney and her family knew that ultimate healing would not happen without help from above.
So the sobbing mother took her baby boy in her arms and cried out to God. And she was not alone.
"Our pastor came, and many friends who were also praying. We stood around his crib, held hands and started praying," Courtney says.
The next morning, Courtney McKee and her family began to notice that God was answering their prayers. Max was awake, and his demeanor indicated that he was returning to his old life.
"He was a little agitated because he wanted all the 'wires' removed as soon as possible (he was getting IVs). But the baby was talking and interacting with us and we realized he was going to be fine," Courtney continues.
Max spent a few more days in the ICU before being discharged and taken home. He didn't have any violations or long-term consequences after the incident - a true miracle!
Days after he nearly drowned, a two-year-old shocked his parents with a revelation.
"Max looked at my husband and I and said: "When I was in the pool, I wasn't scared - Jesus held me," Courtney explains."
But what the child recounted next suggested to Courtney and her husband Brandon that this wasn't just a childlike belief, but a real encounter with Jesus Christ!
"Then he asked us, 'Why does He have wounds and bobos [i.e., nail marks] on His hands?'""
Little Max was referring to the wounds the Savior received during the Crucifixion on the Cross - something the little boy did not and could not have known about before the accident.
"I was completely stunned," Courtney admits. "We asked him to repeat it to make sure we hadn't misheard him. We had never talked to him about the hands of the Lord before, and the way he described Jesus shook me to the core."
Max is now 6 years old, and he still has the memory of how Christ held him in his arms as he nearly drowned. Just a year after the accident, the boy went to a creative camp and painted a picture (with the help of artist Anne Dieter-Rahal) showing him in the water in Jesus' arms.
Max also spent a long time trying to conquer his fear of water after the accident. Courtney had the foresight to enroll him in swimming lessons, and now the boy knows how to save himself if he falls in the water.
And the family continues to share Max's incredible testimony to encourage others and remind them of the presence of Jesus Christ in each of our lives.
"What I want people to take away from this story is that miracles are still happening today. God is real," Courtney adds. "More than anything, I would like people to know that prayer has power!"
Source: https://www.crosswalk.com
